The cursed lullaby
by chloemcg
Summary: A few years after the case of the Emperor's treasure, Phantom R rekindles with Marie and tries to propose to her. But then Raphael finds his apartment ransacked and Marie in a sudden serious unconscious state and it seems that there is more of a plan behind the attack. Can Phantom R solve the mystery and get the antidote that she needs? Can he also find his father in the process?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Rhythm thief, the rights to each character belongs to SEGA.**

 **The cursed lullaby**

* * *

Sun shone down on the city of Paris, creating a beautiful day for the city of lights.

The city of Paris was only after recovering from a severe wound, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon had been destroyed just recently and the whole country was celebrating the tremendous victory by singing and dancing, especially during the Fète de Paris.

And the city had been saved by the famous rhythm thief, Phantom R.

Everything had become so peaceful and lively so everyone believed that things would be alright now that the major threat was out of the way...but, there was a slight bit of trepidation and with good reason. After a stunt like raising such ancient treasures from the earth and having it float over the city, maybe someone would try and duplicate it? Maybe some thugs could blow up a monument? Perhaps a petty thug would commit a serious crime and try and become top dog?

Nobody knew what would come next.

However, nobody was the slightest bit aware of the fact that plans were being made for a new threat was dawning.

At the top of the famous Eifle tower, a pair of men were riding the tower lift; the two men stood alongside one another, neither of them looked at each other as they let the lift carry them up towards the rooftop and it created a very uncomfortable atmosphere between them.

One man was slender and had rather long crimson red locks of hair that pointed downwards as it hung from his scalp just at shoulder length, he had a pointed chin that sported a goatee and he had a pair of dull deep blue eyes. He wore a black jacket with a white shirt beneath it with untidily folded collars poking up against the sides of his neck and he wore a pair of matching black trousers with a pair of shiny black polished shoes.

This man, named Issac, had spent so long trying to restore his partner's body but it seemed that it would take a little longer until he could put his plan into motion. He had spent a long time trying to prepare everything for this yet he could hardly believe that the time was almost there.

"Your stand-in, Léonard Bonar, perished when the gardens fell, my emperor."

The other man, the apparent emperor, was a little shorter then the person accompanying him. He appeared quite muscular in stature and most of his figure had been cloaked in the shade so not much of his face, other than his chin, was visible. He wore a white and deep indigo blue uniform and a flourishing white cape that blew steadily in the wind, he also wore a black Bicorne atop his head.

Isaac spoke as he felt the fresh air caress his face and the wind catch in his hair as he stepped off the lift and started to walk towards the edge, the Emperor gave a quick swish of his cape and looked towards his companion with a rather disinterested glance. He stooped down and bowed respectfully to his liege, folding his arm across his chest in order to give a formal bow, closing his eyes and lowering his head as he did.

"Time still remains until your body can be completely restored. With your permission, I would like to begin phase of our plan."

The emperor's response to his partner's request was a mere nod of the head as he strolled forwards with Issac by his side. They proceeded to stalk over towards the edge of the building and peered over the railing and glanced down upon the whole city. Both Isaac and the emperor stood atop the Eifle tower and gazed down over Paris, they were both silently grinning as the thought of their plan swirled inside of their minds.

They both had a cunning plan in mind, especially after the colossal failure of Jean-François a couple of days earlier.

Isaac, as he stared over the metal railings of the spire of the Eifle tower, had a dull-eyed grin of anticipation. He could hardly wait to put this plan into motion since he had been looking forwards to it for a good long while, a couple of years actually! He was basically itching to see not only how this plan would unfold...but to see how one single person would react to it, and maybe even make things interesting -this Phantom R...who was also his only son, Raphael. He had heard of his son's escapades and he felt rather intrigued as to how this is going to go.

How his son would help put things into motion.

"Be ready Raphael."

* * *

 **A/N: This is the prologue of my first Rhythm thief fanfic and its what I'd like to see in a sequel.**

 **This is how its starts and I found this game recently, but I fell in love with it. I finished the game and I still love it, although some of the rhythm games drive me nuts due to how difficult I found some of them but I still love it and thus this was born! Plus I REALLY want a sequel to this awesome game.**

 **I hope you guys like it.**

 **Please fave and review.**

 **-Chloemcg**


	2. Preparations

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Rhythm thief, the rights to each character belongs to SEGA.**

 **The cursed lullaby**

* * *

 _3 years later..._

It was such a beautiful night in the city of Paris. The stars that dotted the sky sparkled like jewels shining in the light, the moon was full and out in its full glory, and the famous lights of which the city was known for were all illuminating through the beautiful evening -especially the famous Eifle tower that was shimmering with golden lights of splendour and thus acting as a nighttime candle of light.

The citizens of Paris France flocked and murmured in a cluster of voices as they walked around the city and all just enjoyed the relatively peaceful nightlife.

It had been three years on the dot since Paris had faced one of its greatest and most remarkable threats: the Hanging gardens of Babylon, and everything had returned to its peaceful state. Heck, everything was so peaceful that everything had resumed to its previously normal and rather peaceful state...or at least for some people anyway.

The seine was calm and cool, and the wind blowing caused it to ripple slightly due to the disturbance...but then a pair of rushing feet splashed in the shallow part of it.

"Stop in the name of z' law!"

Inspector Vergier bellowed, chasing after the outlaw -Phantom R- with a heated look on his reddening face with his eyes as steely as a metal and impenetrable vault and he was running as fast as his feet could carry him with roller skating enforcers in scalding hot pursuit all while he held his radio tight in his hand and barked commands into it, mostly in French, and all the while he looked up to see the silhouetted figure of the Phantom R.

Vergier could hear the sounds of their wheels screeching against the floor due to friction whilst he was hot on his feet, and he could even tell that the special roller skating squad were very close behind him because of this. Whenever they got close to their target, however, he would just somehow gain a burst of agility and speed on ahead.

Alas the inspector could only watch, it was a very frustrating game of cat and mouse but would the pesky rodent get away again?

The "rhythm thief" dressed in navy blue easily evaded his men on the police force and he dodged them and weaved passed them whilst he snapped his fingers to create a somewhat (and admittedly catchy) beat with his sleek and slender pooch, Fondue, bounding alongside him. Both their feet/paws hit the solid red bricks they were balancing on top of -apparently in a very rhythmic tap dance fashion.

He and his mutt, Fondue, both sprung along the tall brick wall that stood a few feet away from the seines and they each had a rather carefree aura around the both of them. Phantom R ran along the wall with ease with his fleeting feet battering against the bricks, while like the angry inspector below him simply ran in hot pursuit on the road below. Phantom R knew had to reach the jewellery shop before it closed and then get to the opera house because he couldn't afford to miss out on a single performance.

That and he had a special plan for the evening.

What was his plan, one would ask?

Well the Phantom R was keeping that a huge secret until later on in the evening whenever he reunited with his old partner and crime and girlfriend, Marie -the only daughter of the Dutchess Elizabeth. While he had promised to see every one of her performances he felt that he could put a pass on this one and there was a good reason for that, even if it had made his heart wrench with a hint of guilt. But he hoped that the reason for it would make it up.

He glanced down to look at the raging inspector with a wry smirk, silently taunting him.

"Ha! Surely you can run faster than that, mon ami!"

"Nnnngh!" Vergier growled, infuriated.

"Now, now." A new voice came out of nowhere, "Mind your blood pressure, papa."

Phantom R almost froze in his tracks but he knew that if he did then he'd most certainly lose his balance and fall over the edge, along with Fondue. So he continued bouncing along the wall with careful and very precise leaps and bounds. But he did keep looking forwards and his eyes widened when he noticed that someone had stepped out right in front of him, balancing carefully whilst holding a round spherical football under their arm.

The new person smirked confidently.

"Got you now, Phantom!"

It was Charlotte Vergier, otherwise known as "Charlie, daughter of the boiling angry inspector below them. She glared at the burgundy-haired rhythm thief frolicking her way with her grin broadening on her lips, her feet itched for her to get into action and she carefully balanced her ball in her left arm whilst she used the rest of her energy to keep herself stood on top of the brick wall.

Phantom R panicked for a split second. If he kept running, hed surely bowl the both of them over and get caught in the process and there was no way he wanted to risk that. Especially not tonight. But he knew that sometimes you just had to take a chance and then an idea popped into his mind. It was crazy and he was sure that it was quite risky but which one of his plans lacked either of those things? He smiled wryly and snapped his fingers in one show-stopping movement, very much aware that Fondue was now shooting him a panicked look of his own.

Charlie frowned in confusion.

What was Phantom R planning?

Without warning, Phantom R quickly grabbed his pooch by the bandanna and thus bundling him up into one arm before he prepared to make a huge leap. He smiled confidently as he sped up in an attempt to gain some momentum and he could feel the unease coming from Charlie as he approached her as fast as he could run, her facing coming up quicker then he realised. He started to duck down, trying to prepare his knees to propel him upwards. His pulse stirred and adrenaline rushed through his veins with the speed of light.

Then he did it.

Nobody saw it coming.

He bounced high upwards, spinning stylishly in midair as he done so. He could hear Fondue making a screaming dog bowl of shock and surprise all the while. He could see Charlie looking up at him with a stunned expression glued on to her face as he soared over her, and then he landed on the other side of her. Charlie barely had enough time to react before Phantom R made his move to escape the police force and he hardly wasted time in taking the opportunity to do just that.

"Shows over, folks!"

The art thief waggled his brows rather tauntingly at the steaming angry inspector down below and then he leapt over the brick wall and slipped off silently into the night, effectively losing the policemen.

Vergier's cries of frustration could be heard throughout all of Paris.

"PHANTOM RRRRRRRRR!"

* * *

It was just turning nine o'clock at night and one of the only jewellery shops was still opened, it was nice and peaceful and quiet so if anyone was interested in buying gems and such late at night then they would be greeted by a pleasantly quiet atmosphere. The owner who also happened to be the one who sold his wares, was stood behind his desk vigilantly.

He was just wiping everything up with a feather duster that had a plume full of purple and indigo feathers that brushed away every single speck of dust. He had been so focused on his task that he hadn't noticed that someone else was there until he heard the door bell chime that alerted to the door being swung open.

The bell gave its normal jingle and the man looked up and noticed that his first customer tonight had arrived.

Stood behind the counter was a young man, looking to be in his early twenties. He had messy burgundy red hair that had been brushed downwards, he wore a pair of glasses, and he mostly wore a blue jacket with red trimming and matching trousers. He wore a smile on his face and his deep caramel brown eyes were full of fiery passion and determination that the jeweller couldn't help but admire.

"Ah! Bonjour, mon ami! What can I do you for today?"

The young man's smile widened and he looked the jeweller straight in the eye.

"I'm looking for a proposal ring, if that's alright."

The jeweller gave a gleeful smile when he heard that. He slammed his hands down on the surface of his desk, which doubled as a glass case which contained the rings and bracelets and other precious gold, platinum, and silver trinkets he displayed as his wares. He hit the glass so hard that it was rather shocking that he hadn't smashed the glass by accident! He gasped excitedly and his eyes sparkled like diamonds.

"A ring, you say? So exciting! So you have a girl that you want to spend your life 'vith?"

The young man nodded, very slightly put off by the man's over enthusiasm but he decided not to tell him that. He didn't wish to hurt the guy's feelings.

The jewellery shop owner/clerk gave a slow swipe of his hand and gestured down to all the rings that he had happened to be selling that were trapped in the glass case and put on display. "These our the engagement rings that were are selling, séduisant are they not?"

Raphael peered down at them all and noticed how they all looked so exquisite. He couldn't imagine how many carats were in those gems and he could've sworn that he felt his "thief cravings" act up but he reined them in. He couldn't start his life with Marie by stealing, thief or not! He looked them all over but none of them seemed right to him...surely there were better.

The shop keeper noticed Raphael's examination of the rings on display and became silent for a long time. He seemed very thoughtful as he pondered for a few long seconds, and then he made an extremely odd request: "I just need to see a picture of the lucky lady."

Raphael cocked a brow, almost reluctant to do that. Why did this guy need to see a photo of Marie? He found it a bit strange, but he didn't believe that this guy (even though he seemed quite eccentric) wouldn't do it for illegitimate reasons. Nevertheless he complied and brought out his mobile phone. After tapping a few of the dial buttons he had opened the "photos" option and when he did, he very quickly found the perfect image to show and turned his phone to face the man so he could see.

The clerk smiled upon seeing the image.

"Ah...it is the beautiful dutchesses' daughter -mademoiselle Marie you have fallen for, non? I can understand -her kindness and beauty is unparalleled. She has eyes like blue diamonds and blonde hair like golden velvet. You are so lucky to have found a girl like that!"

Raphael agreed wholeheartedly. He couldn't imagine himself being with any other woman, she was perfect and he couldn't wait to drop the question but there was also a swarm of butterflies fluttering about in the pit of his stomach. What if she said no? What would happen if Marie didn't wish to take the next step? What if he was being too rash and she wasn't ready yet? They had been dating for around 7 months, but he didn't wish to make her feel forced into anything or to make her uncomfortable...

He shook his head in an attempt to dispel those doubts.

He should fret about that when the time came.

Raphael had become so distracted that he had almost missed that the man had started inspecting at the rings on display before he had started to shake his head distastefully.

"Non, non, non! These will not do, hold on a minute!"

He hardly had time to blink before the man walked off towards the back of the shop to find something more fitting and it felt like eternity flew by before he returned with a sharp and very happy-looking gleam in his eye whilst he carefully cradled a very unique-looking engagement ring and Raphael instantly thought that it was absolutely perfect.

The ring was a dark gray/silver in colour with a pretty red ruby attached to it, it matched the colour of Raphael's hair, there were also darling little inscription patterns burrowed into the metal to make it even more pretty.

Raphael man smiled. He couldn't think of anything better to propose engagement to Marie with!

The man spoke with a huge smile on his face. "Et c'est parti! This engagement ring was crafted by the finest of craftsmen, it is a very magnifique ring indeed. I couldn't think of anything more suitable for your woman."

Raphael beamed, enthusiastically digging a hand into his pocket for the money he'd saved up for the ring he was going to get. "Great! How much does it cost, Monsieur?"

The jeweller smiled, putting out the palm of his hand to take the required payment.

"Normally it's quite expensive but, as this is a special night for your lucky lady, I shall cut the price down to 20 Euros."

Raphael could hardly believe his ears. That was actually quite generous! He almost didn't dare to believe that the ring cost that such a fortune. He happily grabbed the required amount of money and then gave it to the shopkeeper/owner and then, when the ring was given to him in a regular velvet box, he joyfully (and gracefully) twirled out of the shop whilst exclaiming "Merci", "Merci", and "Merci!" over and over again and then enthusiastically clicking his heels when he finally reached the door before he shoved it open, causing the door bell to chime loudly, and then closing it forcefully.

The undercover rhythm thief slammed the glass door so hard that the glass cracked and the force caused the whole shop to jolt and shake unsteadily, although the shop keeper didn't mind in the least. Actually he just chuckled brightly and then he smiled and shook his head whilst he murmured something to himself beneath his breath.

"Madame Marie is going to be lucky to have such a compassionate future partner."

* * *

 **A/N: This is where our story begins.**

 **Raphael has some huge plans for Marie, it seems!**

 **I adore this ship so of course there was bound to be some romance in this! I already have the other chapters in the works so hopefully the space between them won't be so long. And I also took THIS as a route because at the end of the game Marie claimed that "Raphael saved her future". I know that it probably meant the events of the game but I can't help but think that there was a deeper meaning behind it.**

 **Anyways, I shall try and get the next chapter out soon.**

 **Have a nice day/afternoon/evening!**

 **-Chloemcg**


	3. The reunion

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Rhythm thief, the rights to each character belongs to SEGA.**

 **The cursed lullaby**

* * *

 _Half an hour later, at the Paris opera house..._

Marie could hardly believe this was happening, a few times she actually pinched herself so she could get definitive proof that she wasn't having an amazing dream. She was performing in front of a huge audience and she had become one of the biggest violinists in all of Paris, France.

This had been her dream since she was a little girl and she was finally living it!

The 20-year-old woman closed her eyes and smiled softly as a graceful high pitched melody flowed through the air as the bow glided along the strings of her violin, the lower half of the instrument resting on her left shoulder as she cradled it gently against her cheek. She was almost oblivious the fact that she had an awestruck audience in her wake that were all captivated by her angelic performance.

Almost.

For the event, she wore a stunningly beautiful dress that was lavender purple in colour. The lace-threaded hem reached down to just below her knees and was decorated with blue rose-drawn patterns. There was a velvet shawl draped over her shoulders and an exquisite diamond necklace hung from her neck, gleaming in the light that shine from overhead.

As she played the "Moon princess" song on her prized violin, the song that she had been left with when she was but a baby left on the doorstep of the convent, she couldn't help but wonder if _**he**_ was out in the gallery -hiding from plain sight like always as he watched her performance.

Phantom R (also known as Raphael) was a dashing young man whom just the mere thought of made her heart race. She was a little bit worried though, because she had taken notice that, if he had shown up, he was awfully late. Then again, she hadn't seen him properly in awhile. The only way they kept in touch nowadays was by exchanging letters but that just wasn't enough to satisfy her.

She missed him.

A lot.

Her sapphire blue pools were rather downcast and, as she softly weaved her bow across the strings of her treasured violin to create the flawless and delicate tune of "Moon princess" and she couldn't help but squeeze her closed eyes tightly and remember the times where she had a rush of adrenaline through her bloodstream as she and he ran from the law together -or more like the police chasing Phantom R and he just pulled her along behind him; the memories of the time they spent together filled her heart with nostalgia.

As she played, she could've sworn that tiny winged creatures were fluttering around her. She'd noticed them almost every time she played a song on her violin ever since she was a little girl and while they didn't bother her as much as they did back then, she just did the same thing she'd always had done:

Pretend that they weren't there.

Before she even realised it, her eyes snapped open when she crossed her bow against the strings in a sharp halt as she added an elegant finish to her song. She looked down at the crowd stood in front of her, their faces darkened by the spotlight she stood under and the fact that they were forced to stand a few inches away from the stage she was standing on.

They were all silent for a few moments.

The silence was lengthy and had even become awkward.

Each miscellaneous person that made up the huge crowd wore incredulous expressions on their faces, as though they were just processing that the song had been finished. They each replayed the whole song in their heads for those first few moments that seemed to drag on for the blonde violinist and feared that she hadn't done good enough, what had she done? Had she made a mistake in her performance somewhere? She could finish her thoughts since the audience had suddenly broke into a gigantic applause.

They whooped and whistled, there were even some wolf-whistles thrown in there as they cheered so loudly -they sounded so supportive, too!

Marie glanced down, a blush raising to her cheeks.

She had done it!

Hoping to find him while she was able to, Marie looked into the audience, scanning it for any signs of the Rhythm thief. She found her mother who was wearing a proud smile that melted her heart in joy whom were stood alongside her bodyguard —Alfred. A very faint frown swept across her lips and she cast her eyes down to her own two feet when she was unable to find the navy blue-clad man anywhere in the cheering audience.

She had to wonder why he didn't show up...?

Of course, the answer to this question could very well be that he was still tracking down leads for his missing father. She hoped that he'd find his father someday but that didn't mean (by any means) that she didn't miss him at all but she couldn't dwell on that for too long because she wished to focus on the fact that she had performed a PC concert with expert control and precision.

Later on, during a celebratory ball to commemorate her successful performance, it all got to be a little bit too hectic for Marie so she had decided to get some air and meandered out through the back doors, going out into the huge back garden of the Paris Opera house.

The garden was so lush and big and was such a wide open space, the lit-up fountain spouted water upwards and only slightly sprayed the menagerie that had an abundance of tall trees and there were beautiful hedges and rose bushes that were planted in a neat little row alongside the marble fountain, fireflies fluttered about through the air.

Marie sighed.

She had realised her dream and had become a famous and accomplished violinist, but there was something missing. She couldn't help but look at the stars with a look of longing on her face, there was a gnawing at her heart that drove her mad. But she noticed then that a single star shot across the indigo sky, and her eyes widened in awe because she hadn't seen a shooting star before.

She found it so mesmerisingly beautiful!

Then Marie's thoughts turned to a certain red-haired thief again.

It had been a few years since they had solved the case of the Emperor's treasure but things had started to become normal again after the Babylonian gardens had fallen, just after it had been raised after crumbling straight out of the earthy crust of Paris. Raphael had put a stop to it and had saved everyone and both him and Marie did start dating afterwards.

She just hoped that she would see Phantom R soon, she couldn't recall the last time they saw one another face-to-face and but little was she aware, that she was to see him sooner then she'd think.

But she could not help but be a bit concerned due to the fact that Raphael had missed her performance and she couldn't recall a single other time when he had been late for one of her performances...even after he swore not to miss a single one. What if something happened to him? What if he finally got caught by the police? What if-

"You know, it's a downright shame to see such a frown on such a lovely face, ma chérie..."

Marie's worry-filled thoughts came to a complete stop when she picked up on that familiar voice.

She gasped.

She recognised that voice...!

She looked up to face the direction of where the voice had come from and saw, much to her delight, that a certain burgundy-haired young man wearing a dark navy blue tuxedo with a red bow-tie (sort of different than his normal neck-tie) and even darker trousers. He wore a pair of glasses and even had a fedora perched on top of his head; he was perched in a crouched position on top of the tall brick wall with his hand reaching down towards her, outstretched and offered to her.

"R-Raphael!"

Even though she was perplexed about his sudden appearance, she could not take her huge smile off of her face as he clambered down the wall via a few patches of wall ivy and some very strong but rather gangly vines without taking his own two eyes off of her. As Raphael climbed down and shown himself in the moonlight, Marie was surprised to see that he was dressed very snappily.

He wore his glasses, like he normally did when he wasn't dressed as his other alias, but he also wore a very dashing navy blue tuxedo vest and matching trousers with a plain white long-sleeved shirt beneath the vest, which was complete with a red necktie. He looked very, very handsome but she was a bit surprised and a bit confused that he wasn't wearing his secret identity "Phantom R" uniform, or even his usual and casual attire.

When he finally got low enough, he let go of the vine and then dropped to the lush green grass below. When he landed feet-first he quickly dusted the front of his tuxedo vest and he looked up to see the girl that he had fallen head-over heels with and his mouth dropped open and his jaw practically hit the ground below.

Marie's angelic form shone like gold in the pale moonlight.

"My, my, don't you look stunning. As always." He was starstruck at how beautifully she was dressed.

Marie frowned and almost glared at the rhythm thief.

"You are very late."

Raphael couldn't help but feel a tad embarrassed. He supposed that buying that ring for her took a little bit longer then he'd originally thought. He reached up and scratched the back of his head whilst his whole face reddened like a bunch of ripe tomatoes.

"Heh...sorry, mon amour..."

Then Marie looked around, her lips still formed into a frown.

"And where's Fondue?"

Raphael replied "He's doing some special work for me."

What he decided not to tell Marie was that he had tasked the Alsatian cheesehund with trying to keep the police off of his back for awhile, Fondue was currently giving Inspector Vergier and his group of roller skating police force a wild goose chase they could remember. Raphael knew that if the police had found him during his big attempt then things could go very pear-shaped within seconds and he didn't want to risk that...but he didn't want to risk his canine companion going to the pound either.

The burgundy-haired rhythm thief shook his head.

He had to focus on the reason he came!

Raphael creased his brow and his expression was looking surprisingly charming and rather teasing. He tried his best to thinly mask his severe nervousness behind a flirtatious attitude and while it appeared that Marie hardly even noticed it, that didn't mean he could contain his inner emotions as well. He gently gripped the smaller hand of the young woman's and smiled warmly.

"So, I've got something I wanna show you. How'd you like to have a certain someone whisk you off so you'd have a night you can remember?"

All Marie could do was nod. She wanted to catch up with Raphael so badly and wanted to hear of all the adventures that he'd been on with his trusty partner Fondue, even though she was still a tad miffed with him for missing her concert. But she couldn't deny that there was something...off with him and she had noticed alas she couldn't tell whether it was the good or bad kind of "off" since all she knew was that there was just a strange vibe coming from him.

Was it...anxiety?

* * *

 **A/N: HEEEEEEEEEEEEERES CHAPTER 3 OF "Cursed lullaby".**

 **Raphael puts his plan into action and very soon we get to the official beginning of our adventure in my version of the potential sequel of Rhythm thief. I have plans for this fic but if my French sucks, I'm so sorry about that. Can Fondue stall the police and can Raphael do what he had set out to do? Stay tuned and find out next chapter!**

 **I hope you like it guys, and please review and fave.**

 **-Chloemcg**


	4. The big question

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Rhythm thief, the rights to each character belongs to SEGA.**

 **The cursed lullaby**

* * *

The night was silent and the stars twinkled brightly in the dark navy blue night sky.

The air was crisp and cool.

The moon was full and bright whilst it hung in the sky, adding some slivers of white beaming lights that added to the beauty of the glamorous city of lights, making the view absolutely stunning as a certain burgundy-haired man and his blonde, blue-eyed beauty both made their way across the rooftops of the homes, scaling across every single tile as they headed towards a certain building that the well-dressed rhythm thief had prepared just for this special occasion.

Raphael scaled the individual rooftops with well-practiced steps as he'd long grown accustomed to walking and running on roofs but he knew that Marie was not so decided to take it slow, and walking at such a slow pace would make the scene more suspenseful anyway.

He hoisted himself up as he climbed the building with one hand and Marie gripping on tightly to the hand that was guiding her and even acting as if his arm were some sort of rope, there was excitement shining inside her sapphire blue eyes as she wondered what was in store for her. She knew that her boyfriend could be very romantic and she loved it whenever he took her out to see the spectacular city lights; she'd been used to seeing them every night but whenever she was with Phantom R, it was as if she was seeing them in a different light for the very first time...

"Where are we going?" She couldn't help but wonder aloud.

"You're going to have to wait, my dear Marie, that's why it's a surprise."

Marie sighed and rolled her eyes. She should have known that it wouldn't be easy to get an answer out of him, he had always been good at keeping a tight-lip especially when it had come to secrets like this. Her boyfriend tried to make their times together as whimsical as possible although she did find it annoying when he made it harder and harder to not spill the beans. The blonde-haired maiden steadied herself whilst she walked along behind him as she made sure to be very careful as to where she put her foot so she could avoid slipping right off the roof but she was sure that Raphael would prevent that from happening.

...But she wanted to be careful regardless.

Suddenly, Raphael pivoted neatly on his heel and whirled around to face Marie and he tightened his grip on her hand.

Marie blinked in startled confusion.

"What is it?"

A confident smile spread across Raphael's lips as he spared his other hand to readjust his glasses and he then he gave the hand he was holding a reassuring squeeze and he tilted his head downwards a bit, bowing it gracefully, and he explained to her "Now, for this last bit of the journey to our destination, I'm going to have to carry you because it's going to be a tad more difficult on foot to get there..."

Marie nodded wordlessly.

If she were honest with herself, she hated all this suspense...but she knew in her heart that all this waiting and suspense would be worth it and reveal to be a magnificent surprise; when the violinist and the Phantom R had officially hooked up, Marie knew that having a relationship like this would come with its risks due to all the complications however she also knew that she would be able to help her lover out more with his quest on trying to track down his missing father...she wanted to help him in anyway she could, after all.

She allowed Raphael to scoop her up into his arms and he started to carry her bridal style.

Raising her up slightly so her face was closer to his, Raphael winked playfully.

"Don't look down, okay Marie?"

Marie couldn't prevent a giggle from bursting out of her lips and she nodded her head. She gripped on tightly as Raphael broke into a steady jog and started to hop and skip across the rooftops, alas Marie couldn't help but notice that he happened to apparently be clicking his feet against the tiles in what sounded like a tap dance-like manner. It sounded nicely rhythmic to her ears as she clung on to Raphael tight with a bright smile stretching upon her lips in a brilliant beam.

It only took like two more minutes before the thief with burgundy red hair finally stopped and he proceeded to lower the young woman to stand on her own two feet.

"We're here,"

It turned out their destination was a building balcony and her eyes were wide at what she saw.

It was truly a sight to behold.

There was a nicely all-laid-out table was perched atop the balcony; it had a checked patterned table cloth draped over it and lit-candles were surrounding the romantic setup and flickering in the gentle cool breeze. Atop each end of the table was a two sets of cutlery, a big silver platter, and two glasses of sparkling white wine that appeared somewhat fizzy.

Raphael took Marie by the hand and escorted her towards the round table and then gently sat Marie down in one of the seats, next he reached over to the middle of the table and proceeded to lift the big shiny lid off of the tray to reveal a large bowl of salad that consisted of lettuce, celery and small cherry tomatoes with a side of nice warm buttery baguettes.

Marie gasped in delight with her eyes sparkling like diamonds with amazement.

"Oh, Raphael! How did you manage...?"

Raphael simply winked playfully as he took his own seat opposite her whilst a charming smile swept across his lips as he recalled the time three years ago when he entered the theatre to get a precious artefact from the Dutchess Elisabeth, doing just that by simply passing an official waiter test and serving the Dutchess her beverage to get to his prize.

"I have my ways."

Marie giggled as her date helped lower her down into her seat.

"And the meal?"

"Remember, I became a certified waiter and chef years ago."

The well-dressed, disguised rhythm thief then gave a slight gentlemanly bow and swept one arm gracefully across his chest whilst the other one flew behind his back quickly, grabbing something from behind, and then he thrust his arm forwards and presented his date with a large and bouquet of roses as he gallantly smiled and then spoke to her in a faux tone of voice.

"For you, milady~"

Marie took the flowers and she could feel her heart pounding hard inside her chest as she took this all in. He had set all of this up for her, he must had taken quite a bit of time to set this up to be as romantic as possible and it made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world. She was so emotional that she could feel a certain tickling sensation behind her eyes as she practically hugged her bouquet, she was beaming brilliantly. She inhaled the sweet, sweet scent of her roses and closed her eyes and she felt so happy right now that nothing else in the world could compare.

"Aww, thank you!" She exclaimed.

Marie smiled lovingly at her date and asked him in an awestruck tone, "How were you able to afford all of this?"

Raphael gave a shirk shrug and replied "Sorry, my dear, but that's a secret for me to know and you to find out."

"You're being very secretive, aren't you?" She giggled.

"You know me! I'm full of surprises..."

Raphael tugged at his collar as he swallowed a huge lump in his throat nervously. He had been replaying this scenario over and over again in his mind for these past couple of months and now the time was here...how could he do this and not make a gigantic fool of himself? He almost wanted to turn on his heels and run away, but he forced himself to stay seated and, without anymore to be said at the minute, the two lovers began to tuck into their meals.

Raphael had remembered that Marie was a vegetarian so he made sure that everything confectionary was up to scratch because he so badly wanted this night to be perfect.

For this to work, _everything_ had to go according to plan...

A long silence filled the air and it started to feel awkward.

To try and calm himself, he grabbed his glass and took a small sip of wine and swallowed to try and loosen his throat so he could try to swallow even though he felt another large lump form in his throat, he tried to make his voice work. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking as a thin layer of sweat covered his face and then soak through the palms of his quaking hands. He could feel the little hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as though his body had been electrified.

This was it.

This was the moment.

He spoke up abruptly as he forced himself to look his girlfriend in the eye and he almost found it hard to break off his gaze again when he stared at her with his mouth gaping wide open, she looked at him with the most enchanting smile plastering against her lips. Raphael's heart was pounding hard in his chest and he could have sworn that he could feel it try to burst right out.

Marie was so beautiful...especially tonight...she was like an angel...

"Umm...Uhhh...Marie?"

The love of his life had an adoring smile on her face and her eyes shined like stars and the rhythm thief could feel his cheeks grow warm due to the cherry red tint that now coloured them. He could swear that time slowed to a painstaking crawl as she tilted her head to one side and hummed questioningly, arching a brow to mirror that confusion she had verbalised.

Raphael couldn't stop sweating and his racing heart wouldn't slow down.

He dug a hand through his pocket and was almost horrified to discover that the velvet box wasn't in there. He felt his heart drop into his stomach and his knees started to quiver when his mind raced with several paranoid thoughts and scenarios as to what had happened to it. He started to mentally berate himself, Marie all the while oblivious to her lover's total inner breakdown.

 _"Oh no, no, no, no! What happened to it? What happened to the ring? How could you lose it, you idiot!?"_

He face palmed himself before he could stop it, his hand making hard contact to his forehead as he smacked it by accident when the realisation him that he might just have left it behind back at the apartment when he switched from his Phantom R outfit to his current attire, in the pocket of his "Phantom R" jacket. This was the worst thing that could happen! Why did he have to be such a moron to forget the most important thing of this whole operation!

And after he'd psyched himself up so much too...

Marie noticed the sudden attitude shift and his paling face and instantly grew both alarmed and concerned.

"R-Raphael! What happened? Is everything alright?"

Raphael smiled as best he could in spite of his total anxiety that everything was coming crashing down around him. He had wanted this night to be perfect, he wanted to whisk Marie away for one night and use the marriage proposal for the coup de gracé but without the ring, that was going to be very tricky...

He mentally admonished himself, hoping that he wasn't looking like a deer in the headlights right now.

 _Oh snap, just go for it!_

The art thief's heart was bursting to get out of his chest and he had to keep his feet firmly glued to the ground or else he'd probably make a mad dash to escape the unbearable anticipation of this moment. He reached forwards and abruptly seized Marie's hand. He looked at her with the most calmest expression he could muster, slunk out of his seat and dropped down on one knee whilst he stared the beautiful blonde maiden straight in the eye.

He was absolutely trembling on the inside but he still kept as cool as he possibly could and he grasped her left hand in his and then covered it with his other one.

Raphael let out a deep, calming exhale.

"Marie..." He started, his tone low and calm, "I...I was wondering if you..."

Marie smiled and silently nodded at him, urging the bashful rogue to continue.

It was very hard not to get lost in her gaze as Raphael continued to try and ask the question, he somehow kept himself together. So, clearing his throat, he stared deep into her beautiful sapphire blue eyes and started to try and finish that very important question that always seemed so hard for him to ask for some odd reason; every time he tried to pop the question the words would just become entangled within his throat -he just tried forcing the words out with as much effort as he could muster.

He got up from his chair, standing tall yet he appeared somewhat shaky, and then walked around the table. It felt like the slowest stride he ever made as time seemed to slow to a snails crawl, and he could feel his mind reel with both excitement and pure anxiety and it was when he made it to Marie's side that he proceeded to gently lower himself to stand on one knee and gently took her hand into his own as he squeezed it reassuringly.

His eyes were gentle and his voice was trembling.

"W-will you do me...the g-greatest pleasure...and...a-and be-become my—"

Before he could finish that important question, howver, a loud voice cut him off and boomed loudly and both pairs of blue and brown eyes flew wide open in stunned shock whilst Raphael felt his heart drop in a mix of dread, frustration and downright disappointment that the romantic moment had been wrecked.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, PHANTOM R!"

* * *

 **A/N: Ohhh, so close! It seemed that he was about to pop the question when he was so rudely interrupted. What will happen now? Will Raphael and Marie be able to escape whoever the voice belongs to? Can Raphael ever actually propose properly?**

 **FIND OUT IN A FUTURE CHAPTER, I HAVE BIG PLANS FOR THIS!**

 **Please review.**

 **-Chloemcg**


	5. The coin drops

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Rhythm thief, the rights to each character belongs to SEGA.**

 **The cursed lullaby**

* * *

The apartement of Phantom R was filled with deep, deep puzzlement after the incident involving him and Marie two nights ago during the failed proposal attempt.

The disguised rhythm thief wasn't despondent but he wasn't quite so cheery either as he sat at his desk in a wooden chair with his mind racing nonstop.

Outside, the skies were a beautiful blend of peachy orange, reddish pink, and a radiant shade of indigo whilst poofy pink clouds were fading and becoming transparent —the orange/yellow sun was sinking behind several tall apartments buildings that cast a dark orange light over the city that was starting to also dissipate. The outside world of Paris was bustling, bracing for the oncoming dusk as the sun started to sink and make way for the moon.

Raphael sighed.

He had been _so_ close to proposing to Marie but then Inspector Vergier had to show up and ruin everything... and

Thankfully, the Inspector didn't notice his true identity since he was not quite dressed in his Phantom R uniform...it seemed to be a case of mistaken identity on his part, but he was still slapped with a warning because he was on top of a roof in the middle of the night with his girlfriend. How had he been found? Well, it was later discovered that Fondue had become sidetracked when he spotted a certain pink poodle who had sort of bewitched him some time ago. Anytime Fondue saw that pooch, Coco he thought her name was, his little dot-like eyes would literally go heart-shaped.

Thinking back on it he had supposed it was just as well that it ended that way since things had been going wrong before the police appeared anyways.

Raphael simply kept his eyes hardened as he studied the coin beneath the light. He had been doing this since he had gotten home after he got back from the police station just a day earlier, examining the coin that his father had left him all those years ago before he disappeared and joined the Chevaliers Diabolique. Ever since that event three years ago, he had been questioning over and over again what his father had to gain from having to do this.

Why?

The rhythm thief was confused beyond belief.

He knew that it had something to do with the time he became ill a year after his mother died, and he remembered Dutches Elizabeth telling him that he had a plan, that she'd bet her life on it. He exhaled deeply, his body pounding with this sensation of frustration. His brown eyes still focused on the sharp glint of the golden coin that he held in his hand, a certain red-head studying it under the ember illuminance of a lampshade. He, while a bit upset with the whole situation, just couldn't bring himself to be angry with his canine partner and he had to admit that he was pleased that he'd kept the police busy for as long as he did...even though he got distracted at just the wrong moment.

"...Just what is my father planning?" He asked himself aloud, an irritated moan anchoring his voice.

Raphael jerked backwards in shock when he was interrupted from his reverie by a sudden noise that sounded as though something was hopping up a rather long staircase...something four-legged. The burgundy-haired twisted half his body, whirling his gaze so he could see what the sound was, and he saw that Fondue was trotting up the stairs of the secret cellar with something in his mouth and his tail was wagging.

Raphael quirked his brow in confusion.

What was the dog doing?

Putting the ancient coin down on the table, Raphael stood up from the chair and walked over before he dropped to his knees to meet his partner-in-crime. He watched as the dog happily cantered towards him with what looked like a roll of newspaper in his maw and Fondue had this certain look in his eye...something that sparked this curiosity inside of him as the burgundy-haired man tilted his head and stared at the newspaper in Fondue's mouth.

"Hmm...? What is it, boy?"

Taking the newspaper into his grasp, Raphael unrolled it and scanned the words scrawled upon it. The newspaper had a rather interesting headline, a large black and white photo shown a man holding coin and it was this image that immediately attracted his attention. He scanned each paragraph carefully and what he saw made his eyes widen and his jaw drop to the floor. Upon looking closer at the photograph, the coin that the man (who was apparently the owner of the museum) held in his hand was the _same_ one his father left.

Or at least it was another coin that looked just like it.

The burgundy-haired young man almost did a double take he was so stunned.

He could feel his heart pumping enthusiastically as he let his fingers unlatch the paper, which he had unknowingly been holding so tight that his fingertips creased the paper. Just after doing this, Raphael petted Fondue atop his head and didn't hesitate on praising him and he could feel Fondue's sleek beige fur tickle as he rubbed the palm of his hand on the Alsatian cheesehund's head, causing his pointy ears to flop downwards.

Fondue closed his eyes and happily barked, his tail still wagging enthusiastically in response to his master's happiness as he started soaking up his praise like a sponge. Whenever he would see his beloved master so down in the dumps it would make his stomach ache with helplessness and all he'd be able to do would be to lay down whilst thinking of how he could cheer up his friend...it would make his poor tummy have a dark, deep chasm that could only be filled with this need for companionship.

"Good dog, mon ami! You're the best partner a guy could have!"

Raphael lifted his hand off Fondue's head, climbed to stand on his feet and smiled determinedly. He felt his heart glow with determination and he could feel his eyes sparkle with this confidence that he had re-unearthed up from the depths of his mind. For now, he decided to focus on finding his father and, when the time was right, he knew that he would find the right time to propose to the woman he adored. Whenever he found the most perfect moment to ask her, he would seize it!

Raphael made sure he put the engagement ring in his pocket and he felt a huge wry grin stretch across his lips. He felt like he could take on the world!

"We've got to get that coin, it could give us a new lead as to the whereabouts to my father!"

In reply, the dog jumped up and grabbed his fedora off a nearby nightstand and then keenly brought it back to his friend. The man took the prized hat out of the dog's mouth and happily placed the hat on top of his head, then he removed his glasses and dressed up in his jacket, trousers, and straightened the red tie around his neck.

His determination ever-increasing, the ready-dressed Phantom R snapped his fingers readily and clicked his feet.

"It's showtime!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Elisabeth's Manse.

"You are certain you do not want me to send Alfred with you? I do not feel too comfortable with letting you walk out there by yourself, especially at this hour..." The Dutchess Elizabeth asked her daughter worriedly, trying to hide her concern behind a mask of confidence but was failing miserably.

Marie smiled and shook her head as she gave her mother a polite curtsy.

"No thank you, mamá."

Marie felt glad for her mother's concern and appreciated it greatly, although she did feel just a bit smothered by such behaviour if she were to be honest. She shifted on the spot as she felt eager to get going to the place where she wanted to go right now; Raphael's apartement. Whenever she went there she loved spending time with the man she loved and she felt her heart soar whenever she was merely in his presence...although she also wanted to make up for the drama that had unfolded the other night. She and her date were given a slap on the wrist as a warning, although she was given a huge scolding from her mother when she returned home with a police escort.

Marie was very much relieved that Raphael's secret identity as "Phantom R" had not been discovered, though. She didn't want to even think of what would happen should he be exposed...

"Alright...but please _do_ come home safely. After what happened with Raphael the other night, I can't risk your safety."

Elisabeth put on a warm but worried smile as she watched her daughter head out the door.

Marie understood her mother's concern. After they had been separated for years, she was probably just being over protective to try and make up for lost time. She wanted her mother to not worry so much whenever she went out by herself, she loved her mother too but she wished that she would trust her a bit more.

"Don't worry, mamá. I'll be careful! à plus tard!"

So, flashing her mother a warm smile of reassurance, she headed out the door and she didn't catch the look of deep worry that was on the Dutches' face after she exited through the large and grand front doors; little did she know was that she was very much unaware that her mother's fears were totally justified...

It only took two hours of boarding a bus and a train until she reached Raphael/Phantom R's home town.

On her way there, Marie walked happily as she approached the apartment and she couldn't help but think a bit as she strolled. She hummed a merry little melody beneath her breath as she skipped along the side of the pavement, weaving her way through the crowd of Parisians whom just strolled casually and carried out their everyday lives. She hoped that Raphael was at his appartement with Fondue because she wanted to see how their search was going for the missing forgery artist (and Raphael's father) Issac.

But more than that, she wanted to see what was up with her boyfriend...she noticed that he had been acting strange around her lately and even a little on the nervous side. She wanted to know why and she wanted to see if she could help in anyway and get whatever was bugging him off of his mind.

Marie hummed the tune of The moon princess as she walked, smiling cheerily as she thought of reuniting with the man she loved and properly catching up with him filled her mind. Just the thought of seeing him made her heart dance. She felt this way ever since the first time she took his hand and she danced with him.

She loved everything about Phantom R.

His unique sense of rhythm, his kind-hearted nature, his courage and bravery, his charm...

Everything!

Her sapphire blue eyes wandered skyward as her singing glided through the air like a bird taking flight, although it got lost in the loud murmuring of the busy crowd that she also got lost in. Marie had to push and shove her way through the large group of Parisian pedestrians and, although it took quite a bit of effort, she refused to give up until she reached her destination. It felt like forever until she finally reached Phantom R's home and she couldn't be happier.

The maiden felt like it was a sight for sore eyes.

It had been years since she saw the building, ever since she first met Raphael a few years ago.

Nostalgia plunged itself into her heart like a knife and she couldn't help but feel her memories take a dive into the first time where she met him at the park. She remembered it well. A small girl had lost her balloon and she decided to soothe her by playing the Moon princess melody on her prized violin and he just so happened to have been walking by after escaping the authorities, and then he retrieved and gave the child her balloon back. Then they met again by the Seine. She could recall running up to him when she was being chased by the Chevaliers Diabolique and he swiftly, and gracefully carried her to safety.

She could remember being held in his arms...she could remember him gliding across the river as he bounded across, using the rooftops of boats passing by to leap safely to the other side.

Her heart fluttered whenever she thought of the thrill of that night.

In the midst of her daydreaming session, though, she arrived at the apartment.

She saw that the tall apartment complex looked as though it was empty and void of her hero and his dog. Her smile fell when she came to the conclusion that there was nobody home...but she frowned further when she squinted her eyes and noticed something off about the house. She couldn't place her finger on it at first but she froze and felt her heart stop in her chest when she saw a strange shadowed silhouette slip in through the window.

She heard her thoughts come to a crashing halt.

There was an intruder in there!

Unease looming over her, she took off after the mysterious person inside the house by charging up the stairs and throwing open the door. She couldn't see the stranger's due to how dark it was face but she could see that they had vibrant red hair —it was similar to Raphael's crimson-shade of red but a touch darker.

"Wh-What are you doing in here?" She demanded, trying to sound brave but her voice trembled with fear.

Before her mind could even register completely what was happening, the shadowy figure made a lunge at her. She could feel the wind knocked from her chest as she was shoved roughly up against the bookcase and she could feel some of the sharp edges dig into her back slightly. In a frantic haste to grab something to fend off her attacker, she wound up swiping one of her arms across the air behind her and knocking almost all the books from the shelf.

Then the person did something she wasn't expecting: they grabbed the book that just so happened to be the lever down to the secret cellar.

Marie's breath hitched in her throat. That was impossible. How could they have known? How could this person have known about that secret lever!? Her chest quivered and her skin started to form goosebumps out of the purest form of stunned shock and fear that made her shiver internally. She grunted as she felt the person grab her and she instantly tried to disable his attacks by grabbing their wrists, trying to incapacitate them.

The mysterious intruder growled as they then thrown themselves, and her, down the cellar staircase. It was pitch black down there so Marie couldn't make out much at all but she could certainly hear the sounds of furniture smashing, crashing and the overpowering sound of glass smashing and she could feel her back collide with several surfaces. They weren't actively trying to hurt her, or else they would be more harsh with her by throwing her into more stuff.

Maybe whoever this was was trying to incapacitate her just as much as she was trying to incapacitate them...

But then the stranger's hand crept behind Marie's head and gripped her silver crescent moon hair clip to prevent her from moving her head away and held a vile of a glowing smokey substance beneath her nose, making her inhale it quickly when she started to panic.

And suddenly Marie felt dreadful.

Her vision was spinning and she could barely walk in a straight line due to disorientation and fatigue. She felt very, very feverish and her throat felt as though somebody had shoved their hand down there and clawed at every last bit of it to shreds. Not only that but her gut felt as though it was doing several flips inside her poor tummy. She felt huge dark circles form beneath her eyes and she could feel the colour drain from her face, her skin now having a green tint.

The young woman stubbornly tried to stand straight while squinting her eyes so she could see through her dizziness. She groaned as the hand released the back of her head and she collapsed in a heap to the floor below, shaking and shivering sickly. She heaved her shallow breaths in and out to try and regain control of her breathing, softening blue eyes glancing up weakly at the person standing over her.

She could make out an empty yet sympathetic glaze in their eyes.

"Hmph...sorry about this, my dear. But I can't have you interfering with our plans."

Marie coughed as she curled up into a ball on the floor, almost feeling the shards of broken glass that surrounded her.

She felt horrible and she could feel her head become clouded and foggy with disorientation; the world was starting to spin and her head felt as though it was about to explode. Her chest was on fire and she could feel that her useful consciousness was starting to slip away as she could hear the sounds of shuffling in the darkness which was quickly followed by the sounds of footsteps. She deduced that whoever the person started to walk away and then left her to die.

She prayed that someone would find her in time.

She prayed that _he_ would find her in time.

* * *

 **A/N: Here's the next chapter and it seems that Marie is in trouble and Raphael has a brand new lead after feeling a bit bad since the proposal attempt. Let's hope that things start looking up next chapter!**

 **I'm very sorry that these chapters aren't that great lately, I** **am trying to make them as long and as plentiful as I can but I just can't make them as long as I want for some reason. I hope that this chapter satisfies you lot anyway but I will try my best to make the next chapter longer.**

 **Can Marie be saved?**

 **Please review and fave.**

 **-Chloemcg**


	6. The retrieval

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Rhythm thief, the rights to each character belongs to SEGA.**

 **The cursed lullaby**

* * *

Crawling through a dark, narrow space that was filled with floating tiny specks of dust was not a job for the faint of heart.

It required someone with agile bodies and flexibility beyond normal measure to pull off successfully and shuffling along an air duct that seemed to stretch on forever was never a favoured part of a thief's profession.

Of course, breaking into the Louvre for probably the umpteenth time was no easy task since the codes seemed to have been altered and security tightened more each and every time he broke in. He would have been lying if he claimed that it wasn't the slightest bit fun to try and tickle Vergier and his men silly whilst giving them the slip, but he knew that this time he really had to focus on the task at hand instead of purposefully riling up the extremely stubborn and persistent chief of police...no matter how thrilling that sounded.

Raphael would stop at nothing to get that coin. He had to get his hands on it, it could very well lead him to his father's location and then he could try and get the answers he had yearned for all these years...but he had no idea what he could do after that —he had become Phantom R to try and find his father but he didn't know what he could do with his secret identity after he had completed his mission.

Shaking his head, the burgundy/crimson-haired thief mentally scolded himself.

"No...I have to focus on the here and now."

Phantom R kept on shuffling and floundering as he squinted his eyes to try and see through the dust and blackness that surrounded him, every time he breathed in he could feel the little dust particles suck back into his lungs.

He found it hard not to cough due to the scratchy tickling sensation in his throat.

Just like every regular jobs there would always be a certain part of it that would make you cringe.

It felt like an eternity of army-shuffling through the metal narrow pathway that stretched out in front of him before he finally came across his saving grace which took form as a square-shaped grate that led into what appeared to be a security room, or at least what seemed like one through the sleek bars. He pushed down on the grate with as much force as he could muster and then he dropped down from the ceiling via the ventilation shaft, landing on one knee and using the palm of his right hand to keep it stable.

He looked around, glancing at his surroundings as he tried to see if his wife would be in the room.

The burgundy-haired man dressed in blue glanced to his left and smiled wryly at what he saw: a guard had seemingly nodded off as he sat up in the chair right by the controls and surveillance cameras, it was clear that he had been posted there but had grown bored after awhile.

What a perfect scenario.

The rhythm thief stood from his crouched position on the floor and meandered straight over to the controller panel, making sure to keep his footsteps as light as possible as to not disturb the snoozing guard. He leaned over the desktop, glancing over at the guard's form with a soft and rather mischievous smile, the security guard was fast asleep as his cap hung over his eyes to make a makeshift sleeping mask and he mumbled in his slumber.

Phantom R paid him no mind as he swiftly unlocked the rhythm activated security combination, then started to study each area that each screen displayed and it was after scanning each individual security camera that he had managed to deduce that the area where the coin was in a special exhibit that seemed to have been very well booby-trapped.

"Hrrrn?"

Phantom R almost jumped out of his skin when he heard that sound, his heart started to race in his chest as he whirled on his feet and turned to face the direction of the sound and quickly found himself glancing down at a familiar pooch. "Ack!"

His eyes widened and he managed to barely contain a strangled-sounding yelp of surprise, his voice squeaking for a moment.

Alas it was a moment that could only serve to cost both of them dearly.

The previously sleeping guard snorted abruptly as he jerked himself up into a sitting up position, eyes groggily shooting open as he was still very much half asleep. He looked to his left and then to his right as he tried to find out the source of the noise despite his fatigue.

"Wh-Wha...? Where...whatzit...whose...!?"

Phantom R and Fondue momentarily panicked when they saw the guard awakening, the former's mind froze and his mouth dropped open. He couldn't let that guy wake up! The whole operation would go down the drain if he let him regain complete consciousness...! His chest quivered and he felt his throat tighten...yet then, closing his eyes to calm himself down, he knelt down beside the chair in which the stirring guard sat in and started to try and think of a way to lull him back to sleep.

He wracked his brain to think of any ideas to try and lull him back into a peaceful and blissfully-unaware-of-everything state of sleep.

Then an idea clicked in his head...but he wasn't sure whether it would work.

Clicking his fingers in a soft and quiet rhythm, the Phantom R licked his dry lips nervously and started to hum a quiet melody beneath his breath...the melody of the Moon princess song. He made his voice harmonies perfectly with the rhythmic snapping of his fingertips as he closed his eyes. He could think of no lyrics, but he did make sure to memorise each and every tune of the song that had helped captured his lonesome heart whenever he first heard Marie play it on her violin.

The way the song would sway made his heart break into a gallop.

The Rhythm thief cracked open one eye and was very much encouraged when he saw that the guard was starting to nod off again. He could feel his lips curl upwards and he closed his eye again and continued singing in time with the soft snaps of his very own fingers, Fondue helping by flickering his tail back and fourth to add some backup clicking effects. The two partners in crime soon felt safe when the guard had relaxed once more and was now sleeping peacefully, blissfully unaware of the two thieves that had broken into the building.

Phantom R wiped a sleeve across his brow, which had a sheen of sweat threatening to drip down his face, with relief and he sighed.

That was close...

He glanced down at Fondue, glaring sternly at him.

"Look, I would appreciate if you didn't startled me like that! We could've blown our cover!"

Fondue instantly ceased his excitable behaviour and gave a soft apologetic whimper as he looked down to the ground and sat down on his haunches and lowered his head out of shame. Phantom sighed again as he found his anger melting away like snow in the sun and the cross features that made his face contort slightly quickly went away as he found that the mutt was too adorable to be cross at.

The man bent down, reached and then petted Fondue on the head.

"It's alright, big cheese, I know you were just excited about not being left out."

Fondue barked as he seemed to light up instantly upon seeing that he had earned his master's forgiveness.

Phantom R then decided that it was time to reattach their focuses on the task at hand and he hastened back towards the panel and peered into the several computer screens, staring intently and studying each screen to see if he could find any details on the screen that could say where exactly the coin was in the building. He had managed to make an estimate pinpoint on the coins whereabouts but he had wanted to be certain, but how he could be exactly certain was a mystery.

He placed a hand thoughtfully to his chin as the gears inside his head turned.

In the meantime, though, Fondue had lowered his head on the ground and started to sniff about to try and get the scent of metal. He knew what coins smelled like since he'd been asked to track them down before so he had grown very much accustomed to the strong scent of copper-scented steel alloys. He sniffed and sniffed, his big brown nose working diligently to try and grab that single scent that could lead both himself and his master to the coin they sought after.

Phantom R had been looking at the camera with hardened eyes, and he hummed softly.

"Hmmm...I wouldn't have expected that finding a coin would be this tricky, its like finding a needle in a haystack...but I'm not going to give up! I know it's here. You agree with me, right Fondue?" He turned to face Fondue and noticed him with his nose to the ground.

Phantom R almost instantly caught on to Fondue's thought process when he did this.

"Good idea!"

The burgundy-haired thief dressed in blue proceeded to dig a hand into one of the pockets in his jacket and then produce the coin his father had left him. Raphael held the shiny object out to Fondue, whom had ceased sniffing and stared at his owner's hand in a very unique yet contradictory mix of confusion and realisation. He leaned forwards and started to stiff the coin, his big brown nose wiggling rather adorably and then he let out an excited yip when he got hold of the specific scent...only for Phantom R immediately had to shush his canine companion, since he still had to remember that the guard was still sleeping like a baby nearby.

The two, fuelled by determination, then started to make a dash out of the security room to try and find the exhibit where the coin was.

Their footsteps were so loud as they hit the flooring below, the second the two thieves had exited the room it was enough to make the sleeping guard jolt as he raised the rim of his cap and glanced around wildly with huge eyes.

"Huh? qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?"

* * *

 **A/N: Here's the end of this chapter and it seems that Raphael (Or Phantom R) is a man on a mission to get that coin that looks just like the one his father gave him. Can he obtain it and solve a bit more of the mystery that shrouded his life? And what will he find when he gets back to the apartment?**

 **We shall find out next chapter!**

 **-Chloemcg**


	7. Discovery

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Rhythm thief, the rights to each character belongs to SEGA.**

 **The cursed lullaby**

* * *

Joyful, exuberant, spiritually and emotionally uplifted, sore, confused, puzzled...these were all the feelings that Phantom R felt as he hobbled home after a long hard night.

He couldn't help but feel as though gravity itself was trying to crush him from above as he steadily made his way back to his apartment with the cold starting to soak into him; he was anxious to get home and just recuperate after everything that had happened.

After a good attempt at trying to grab that second coin with the Babylon emblem emblazoned upon it, both Phantom R and Fondue escaped the authorities by the skin of their teeth and somehow managed to get the coin. The duo couldn't help but feel a bit lagged as this was one of those rare occasions whence they had managed to grab something from the museum but felt so sore after running so much, it didn't happen often but it still happened and whenever it did it made the Phantom R feel very run down but he would soon be back to his normal fit self.

The Rhythm thief and his faithful canine companion hobbled to the apartment, eyes glued to the ground below but Raphael stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a familiar friend rush up to him. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open when he saw that the poor old woman was tripping over her own feet as she rushed over to the burgundy-haired thief with panic written all over her soft face, her age lines furrowed with concern and worry and her lips twisted into the most frantic of concerned frowns ever seen.

"Raphie! Raphie, please help!"

The young burgundy-haired thief's eyes widened in shock at seeing the familiar elderly lady running up to him, her face full of alarm and fear. One part of him wanted to ask that the old lady keep it down and refrain from calling him her nickname whilst he was in disguise, as to not let others know of his secret identity, he hardly cared at this point.

Madame Paula had always treated him as if he were her own grandchild and sort of had a tendency to spoil him at times and even bring up homemade gingerbread men to his appartement and even give a few to Fondue, knowing what appetite that pooch has. Heck, she even babied him at times and was just a caring person to him...he even could go as far as to say that she was like family to him. Seeing such unnatural concern on her face was gut-wrenching and it felt so unnatural from such a sweet, caring and rather care-free old woman like her.

It was quite unsettling.

"M-Madame Paula! What happened?" He asked, his voice calm but his eyes were wide with concern.

The old woman stared the young man straight in the eye. She looked so full of frantic remorse, but she was speaking so fast that her words were barely coherent. "Oh, Raphie! I saw it happen! I'm so sorry! I can't believe that someone would break into your home! I just can't...!"

The rest of her words fell on deaf ears.

Someone did what?!

Raphael whistled sharply, beckoning Fondue to follow, as the two quickly hastened towards their home. The rhythm thief could feel his heart leap high into his throat, pounding hard, he could feel his own legs moving without even commanding them and his mind was pulsating whilst a billion thoughts raced through it. What had happened? How could this have happened?

It didn't take long until Phantom R and his loyal companion had reached the apartment but the former froze like a statue.

The rhythm thief swallowed hard and gasped in horror of what he saw.

"Mon dieu..."

It seemed that Madame Paula was correct (not that he wouldn't believe her...) and he could see that his house had, indeed, been broken into. The window had been smashed from the outside, he couldn't tell how exactly yet yet he planned on getting the details from Madame Paula later on. Phantom R couldn't help but feel his blood run cold when the implications of this sped through his mind like a train barrelling down the tracks.

What happened to his house? Who could've tried to have broken in? Why did they break in?

Thankfully, after taking a quick survey of the scene, he had found that the police hadn't arrived just yet so he was free to have some reign of the situation and it would give him time to try and keep his secret safe. He clenched his hands into tight fists and hardly hesitated as he made a move to break into a sprint towards his home while he gave a quick sideways tilt of his head, gesturing for Fondue to follow and his canine companion did just that and followed closely behind his master, barking obediently.

He barrelled his way through the front door and stormed up the staircase until he reached the main room. He had found that the room was dark and there were books strewn all over the floor but he ignored the cluttered mess and he instantly rushed to one of the book cases, he pulled one of the books remaining on the shelf (the secret lever) downwards and this opened up his secret passage and revealed a dark and rather dreary staircase that led down into the cellar.

But he couldn't help but take notice of a dark presence and he almost felt afraid to go down those stairs, he felt his skin crawl and he noticed that Fondue let out a whimper as he cowered behind his legs. He seemed to sense something bad down there too.

Raphael looked down at Fondue, brows slightly furrowed, "Come on, Fondue, we can't stay up here cowering!"

His ascension down the staircase felt very eerie, unlike all the times he'd been down these stairs feeling charismatic or happy. It was when he'd almost made it to the bottom of the stairs whence his pulse stirred and he hurried.

What he saw made his heart freeze once again.

The lights were smashed and glass fragments lay everywhere on the floorboards below. Thankfully a quick scan around the dark room had shown that the paintings he had collected were there and had been left untouched and undamaged. It made him heave a sigh of relief. But...something wasn't right here...someone had broken in and nothing seemed to have been stolen...judging by the state of the room, he would have to guess that his home had been ransacked.

It must have been searched...and there were signs of a struggle.

Phantom R almost felt like he couldn't breathe as he was hit by this large sense of dread. The room might as well have been threatening to crush him as he felt the atmosphere grow so heavy and he could feel his own lungs shudder each time he tried to inhale a breath of oxygen. He looked down at his hands, which were down by his sides and trembling violently.

What happened...?

"Ph-Phan...t-tom...R..."

He froze.

The art thief recognised that voice, but it never sounded so weak and raspy before. He knew whose voice it belonged to but he didn't want to believe it. He really wanted to be proven wrong as he turned to face the source of the voice, squinting his eyes to see through the blackness of the room, and he saw the silhouette of a person laying on the floor with books and shards of glass surrounding her frail form as she lay on her side.

Raphael felt rocked to his core and any words had died in his throat, his hands started to tremble and he gasped aloud. All he could do was stare down at the form that lay on the floor.

"M-MARIE!" He cried out, rushing to the fallen girl and dropping to his knees to kneel by her side.

Raphael's breath was knocked from his chest as he realised that Marie looked awful. She was pale and her eyes were glazed over and empty, appearing as if she were staring into nothingness and her breathing was shallow.

All the thief could do was stare at her in dismay.

Marie's vision started to spin faster and faster and she felt even weaker when she bathed in the protective and comforting heat of the thief's embrace. Her arms started to go numb and her eyes started to sting from the hot tears burning at her corneas and her head started to cloud and grow foggy whilst she tried to make her voice work as her eyes watered.

"I'm sorry...I...I tried to...keep your secret...cellar safe...I broke...my promise...désole...désole...I am so, so sorry..."

Raphael shook his head quickly, slipping his hands underneath her frail form to cradle her securely in his arms. His voice trembled with fear and he tried his best to smile for her sake, to try and keep her hanging on. "N-No! It's not your fault, you did the best you could I'm sure! Don't blame yourself! Stay with me, Marie, please!"

He picked her up and Raphael could hear her wheezing breath grow slower and quieter. Seeing her in such a state made his own eyes start to well up with tears as fear threatened to make him crumble while he watched Marie struggle to stay awake. He noticed that Fondue was stood next to him and the poor dog was looking almost as fearful as his master was at that moment.

Marie sighed.

The last of the willpower that kept her conscious flew away as she finally let her eyes close and her breaths shortened.

Raphael couldn't help a trembled rasp of terror as he saw the love of his life go limp in his arms.

His eyes squeezed shut tight and he ground his teeth to fight back the tears that threatened to roll down his cheeks. What had happened to Marie? Why was she in such a horrific state? Who had done this? Those questions buzzed in his mind as he tried frantically to come up with a way to try and rescue the woman he was cradling in his arms and to keep her alive.

Failing at fighting back the tears and speaking through a trembling voice, the Phantom R looked down at Fondue with his face etched with absolution.

"There's no time to get an ambulance, Fondue, I have to get her to hospital NOW!"

Without saying another word, the burgundy-haired man dressed in blue frantically bolted up the staircase with Marie in his arms. He could feel Marie's body grow colder and colder as she lay lifeless in his arms and all he could do was hold her close to his chest and hope that he could get to the hospital on time.

He couldn't quite recall how he'd managed it since his memories had seemed to blend into blurs of confusion but he had somehow managed to climb up to the top of the roof and he started to run as fast as he could.

He could feel his heart pounding in a quick and rather dramatic tempo, as he landed on the platforms that spaced out far between each other. His feet slamming on the suspended circular stone pieces in a rhythm-sweat dripped down his face and his clenched jaw wouldn't loosen as he tried not to bite his lower lip in anxiety when he constantly looked down at the unconscious girl laying in his arms to check if she was still breathing.

"Come on, Marie, don't die on me!"

Fondue barked as he ran alongside his master, he also looked very concerned for his master and Marie; he had a better sense of smell then a humans -him being a dog and all- and he could definitely smell that she was not doing well. She was smelling more and more like death as the precious seconds ticked by.

It felt as though hours had slipped by until the thieving duo had finally reached the nearest hospital and Marie had somehow managed to cling to life.

Phantom R jumped down from the roof, landing on the pavement with little trouble at all, and then made a quick dash through the front doors and he raced passed the large waiting room and was stood in front of the front desk within seconds. The receptionist was dumbfounded when she saw the infamous Phantom R stood right in front of her with his face was dripping with sweat and he was very breathless as he pled to her urgently in French.

"Aidez moi! Cette femme est en train de mourir, merci de la sauver!"

The receptionist glanced down at the woman in his arms for a moment and a look of shock and urgency swept across her face as she called out quickly for nearby doctors to help. She would have called the police, too, but now just wasn't the time.

Phantom R was going to try and escape quickly to change into his disguise so nobody could recognise him before the police showed up yet he contemplated it all as he stood there in the hospital reception, observing as they lay Marie on a stretcher and wheeled her away to try and stabilise her condition.

He just felt numb to it all.

Someone had broken into his flat and anyone could do that -but there were other qualities that made him think that this thief wasn't just "anyone". They probably very well aware of his secret identity and everything he had accumulated in there, with the desire to get their mitts on something he either possessed or assumed to have possessed, someone with experience of thievery. Now, normally that would leave a very small list of people who could've perpetrated this crime but there was one thing that points to one person.

There was only _one_ other (besides Marie and Fondue) who knew about that secret cellar.

He knew deep down who the culprit who broke into his house was, and he felt a pang of remorse hit him in the heart whilst he contemplated everything that had transpired.

"Father...why...?"

* * *

 **A/N: Here's a new chapter and Raphael has discovered Marie and now she's in hospital...and the person who broke in was Raphael's FATHER! PLOT TWIST!**

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter and stay tuned for more.**

 **-Chloemcg**


	8. Hearts of hope

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters from Rhythm thief, the rights to each character belongs to SEGA.**

 **The cursed lullaby**

* * *

Raphael's heart was bursting from anxiety as he lost all his composure and burst through the hospital doors, barrelling down the marble hallways and running as frantically as possible. His heart was pounding in his chest and he felt as though someone had taken him and dunked him in icy cold water, he couldn't stop himself from shaking as he sharply turned random corners.

He was relying on instincts to guide him to the love of his life's hospital room.

He weaved passed several nurses, doctors, surgeons, other patients and normal civilians and he almost barrelled several patients and lingering visitors over, nearly tripping over his own two feet in his haste —he would continuously give a series of polite but rushed apologies such as "Je Suis désole!", "Excusez-moi!" and "Je vous demande pardon!" whilst he rushed with urgency in each and every step he took.

He had to get there, he had to get to her room... _and see her!_

Raphael made a sharp swerve on his feet as turned left and then shot down the blue-plastered hallway and he could begin to hear the sound of beeping in his own ears, his distraught and frantic eyes widened when he realised that he had hopefully found Marie's room.

The burgundy-haired, non-disguised art thief felt as though his soul had all the joy sucked out of it.

It had been half an hour since he'd brought the unconscious violinist to the hospital after finding her in his ransacked apartment and, after changing out of his "Phantom R" outfit and throwing on his regular attire, he made a mad dash to find Marie in hopes that he hadn't brought her to get help too late. Fondue had to stay outside due to the hospital not allowing animals in the wards and Raphael felt numb to the entire reality.

It didn't take too long before he finally burst into the room, barrelling himself through the doors, and arrived to find a doctor standing over her. He'd turned to face the new person arriving in the room and looked at him with a grim expression on his spectacled face.

Raphael's words came out spilling before he could stop them.

"D-Doctor...! Is Marie...is she going to be okay?!" He asked frantically, grabbing the doctor's collar.

The doctor didn't say anything as he just stared silently at the young man, apparently collecting his thoughts as he just grabbed the young man's pale and shaking hands and loosening them from his own coat collar and then gently pushing them back towards him. The physician had a rather chilling and had seemed to try and provide a bit of comfort to the distraught 20-year-old young man, he placed a gentle hand atop his shoulder to try and comfort him.

"Monsieur Voleur-Fantôme. I am afraid that the young Madame's condition is serious...we are trying all we can to cure her, but we have no clue as to what is ailing her. All we can do is monitor her and try our best to keep her stable."

Raphael felt as though his heart was threatening to shatter right there on the spot, his eyes were wide with grief and his lower lip was trembling as he tried his hardest not to break down. He could just stare at the doctor as he clasped both of his shaking hands together as it was all he could do to try to stop them from shaking, but it was a futile effort.

Could Marie...really not be saved?

How could this have happened...?

His mind was racing at a pace faster then he could ever hope to register, he felt nothing but fear and panic grip his soul as he stared at the physician with an expression that seemed rather pleading but also hopelessly lost; his spinal cord felt a violent tremor as he tried to make his voice work to try and ask him a question.

He choked out through a throat so tight that his voice sounded strangled.

"P-Please...c-c-can I see her?"

The older man seemed to consider whether or not to honour the request, until he nodded solemnly and reluctantly stepped aside so the young man could see what had become of Marie and what state she was in. Raphael could barely contain himself as he lunged at the bed and he grabbed at the metal railings of the young woman's bed and shook it slightly, the force of him gripping the metal causing the bed to rattle slightly beneath his touch.

He stared down pitifully at the woman he loved.

Marie looked so pale but so beautiful at the same time. She was so still and she looked as though she was merely sleeping, her long blonde hair was splaying on all directions as she rested her head against the plump pillows and had been neatly tucked beneath the covers. Each of her arms poked out of the blankets, an intravenous drip piercing the skin of her left arm, feeding her some sort of medicine or pain relief that hung in a clear bag from a drip stand that stood beside the bed.

She wasn't moving, just breathing in time with the agonising "beeps" that assured him that her heart was still beating...that she was still alive.

The doctor left while the undisguised-thief stared mournfully down at her.

Raphael's chest started to cave in and rather empty and his hands started to shake as they still kept a tight grip on the metal railings of the bed, he started to find it hard to breath as pressure threatened to crush his lungs. He stood as tall as he could, even though his knees threatened to buckle. It was a wonder he was still standing to be honest as he tried to push through the despair that threatened to consume him but his mind started to cloud over.

It was as though he were being abandoned all over again, but not by his father...by the woman he loved. Why? Why did this have to happen? He managed to reunite with her and he came so close to asking her the most important question of his whole life...

Raphael's heart then broke.

He tried his best to stay strong in front of the woman he loved but, it was so hard.

Tears started accumulating in his eyes.

The 21-year-old rhythm thief felt his eyes water as his lower lip quivered. He hadn't felt so hopeless and so heart-ridden since the day he watched his father leave him in the snow but now...he felt worse then he did on that day! Raphael could feel his heart break, his knees shake, his eyes sting and his stomach twist as he tried his best to keep the rest of the tears from falling down his face like waterfalls.

He couldn't help but take her hand in his and clasp it tightly, tenderly rubbing the edge of his thumb along her knuckles and then he gently raised her hand to his lips and planted an _oh-so_ delicate kiss on top of it.

Then he pressed it firmly against his own cheek.

As he watched over his true love, observing as her frail form lay still on the bed with the crisp hospital sheets tucked neatly around her, he started to hear the beeps of her heart monitor accelerate and realised really quickly that she was under distress, even in her unconscious state. Marie's eyeballs scrunched beneath her tightly-shut eyelids and her mouth quivered. She didn't writhe like other people who were having a bad dream but she certainly shown all the other signals that would suggest that her slumber was anything but peaceful.

The burgundy-haired young man panicked.

What could he do?

He knew that Marie had to calm down or else her condition might worsen!

The erratic beeping of the machine blared in his ears as he swiftly, but gently, gripped her hand even tighter and used his thumb to rub the back of it. He tried to muster the willpower to get his voice to work and try to verbally soothe her but no words would leave his mouth, no matter how hard he tried to force something out. There was also the fact that he was more of the type of guy who would crack jokes and use visual humour to cheer people up, he didn't fancy himself as someone who was good at saying mushy words of comfort.

He could only squeeze her hand.

 _"I'm here, I'm here, I'm right here...!"_ He whispered internally.

Marie's soft whimpering didn't stop and she still appeared to breathe roughly.

Raphael was seriously considering calling out for the doctor to come back, to maybe help with this situation, but he also knew that mind had gone blank so he could not make it work. He opened his mouth and took a breath, about to call out but then the Dutchess Elizabeth came on to the scene.

She burst into the room but with a serious expression plastered on her face as she hastened into the room and was at the bedside within a split second.

When she saw her daughter not only deeply comatose but also having serious nightmarish symptoms, she shoved Raphael out of the way and leaned over Marie and she quickly used the sleeve of her cardigan to wipe away at Marie's mouth, trying to remove any saliva that dripped down her chin, all while she just shushed her and tried to soothe her child's sleeping form. Her gray-blue eyes pooled with emotion as she tried to contain her rampant motherly instincts, she reached down and rubbed Marie's forehead soothingly. She may of been a woman now but she wasn't going to let that get in the way of anything.

"It's okay, ma chère, it's alright...I'm here now."

Marie seemed to sense her mother's presence despite her serious condition.

She finally seemed to calm down.

Raphael was floored as he stared in awe, watching as the Dutchess seemed to calm the beautiful blonde in what seemed like an instant. He observed with wide eyes whilst Elizabeth, as deftly as possible, leaned down and started to lovingly rubbed her daughter's forehead with a soft and affectionate smile pulling at her lips. Her dull gray/blue eyes were lidded softly as her palm stroked Marie's forehead and brushed her bangs out of her face, soothing her.

It was a magical sight of a Mother's love for her daughter...

Silence had fallen upon the scene as Elizabeth kept stroking her ill daughter's head while her and Raphael just basked in it. It was stiflingly awkward and it was sort of like a funeral pall that hung heavily over the occupants standing by in the hospital room, the only noise at all being the steady and rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor Marie was hooked up to.

Then it was fully shattered when the Dutchess asked a question.

"...Who did this?" Elizabeth's tone was as hard as stone but the literal redhead could easily sense the biting anger in it.

Raphael lowered his head and closed his eyes in regret.

The Dutchess had a right to know, perhaps she would know what was going on...and this was her _daughter_ suffering here. He tried to recompose himself as he finally raised his head and forced himself to look at the strong yet elderly woman in the face. He hesitated for a moment before he forced the words that felt so bitter on his tongue to come out, his mouth felt like dry sound and he heaved a heavy yet deep sigh.

"I have reason to believe that...it was my father who ransacked my apartment and did something to her."

Elizabeth gasped and whirled around to face him with pure shock on her face.

"He...H-He did?!" She exclaimed, horror coming over her.

The undisguised thief nodded his head. He still couldn't believe that this was happening himself and he proceeded to explain everything that had happened from the retrieval of that other coin to the fact that he came home to find his apartment ransacked, Marie in the midst of it, barely conscious, and everything else up until then —he had left out no detail.

Elizabeth scratched her chin with a finger and glanced across the room at the burgundy-haired 23-year-old. She looked thoughtful and, even though she looked worried sick for her daughter, she tried her best to try and keep it from her facial features as to not worry her hopeful fiancé more...then her eyes lit up like fireworks in the night sky when she thought of something.

"I would think there would be one person who may be able to tell you more about Marie's current condition, after all **_he_** was in on the plan..."

Raphael's eyes widened in realisation.

She couldn't mean...!

Elizabeth read the expression on the disguised rhythm thief's face and nodded grimly to confirm his suspicions, her eyes were as dark as the tone that had suddenly enveloped her voice. "Indeed. I am talking about Jean-François. He should be still locked up in Paris Constabulary..."

Jean-Françios...he was not a man that Raphael thought of very highly; he'd raised Marie from infancy and had been to be one of the top dogs for the Chevaliers Diabolique, using her and her violin to play the "Moon princess" song to unlock the hanging Babylon gardens —a parting gift from the ancient Babylonians— to create a literal storm of havoc for Paris France. He broke Marie's heart and used her own mother to force her to play her song. After that he was arrested, convicted of trying to destroy France and locked up to serve a life sentence.

Just the thought of him made Raphael angry.

However, as his expression turned from distraught to somewhat hopeful, some life returning to his deep brown eyes, he started to think about something. Perhaps if he met with Jean-Françious and got him to explain what was happening to Marie, since if it involved his father, he _should_ know and maybe he could explain about the antidote...it was a bit of a long shot but he couldn't give up. He looked down at Marie and frowned determinedly at her, narrowing his eyes at her softly.

He walked up for her and picked her hand back up and planted a gentle kiss on it.

"Wait for me, mon amour...I'll come back for you."

He lowered her hand back down and then he then tucked the blankets around her as gently as he could. She still looked so beautiful and he couldn't help but smile at her softly. He vowed to get Marie well again and then propose to her, just as he had planned. He was going to make her his wife (only if she accepted, of course) and he was going to love her.

He then turned to face the Elizabeth, looking her right in the eye whilst trying for a reassuring expression.

"I will get Marie well again, and I won't rest until she opens her eyes. I promise!"

Elizabeth clutched at her own heart in silent hope that the Phantom R would keep his word. She watched as he ran out the room with Fondue following close behind, the pooch seemed pretty worried about Marie as well and with great reason. She couldn't help but worry for her little girl. Her grand blue eyes became dull and hopeless as she frowned and looked out the door where the young man had just made his hasty exit. She lowered her head and closed her eyes as she resumed looking over her daughter.

She just hoped Phantom R could succeed and fulfil that promise.

"Bonne chance..."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in an undisclosed area..._

There was a dank, dark area surrounded by skulls and was dripping with droplets of water and condensation. The only source of sound was the constant "drip, drip, drip" sounds that sounded each time a droplet made contact with the ground and reverberated through the room. It was close to being pitch black with the exception of a lit candle being perched atop a small table beside a throne being occupied by a mysterious person.

It was certainly a creepy place for sure...

The throne was made of both brass and gold metal with some skulls surrounding it, puffs of mist raising from cracks in the stone that made the area floor.

The man seated on the throne, none other than the one and only Napoléon Bonaparte.

It had been three years since his revival but he had tasked Issac to take some of his soldiers underground and lurk in the shadows, tasked to find a certain bunch of items of importance, as they sought out some certain ingredients and then carry out his master plot but there was one more item he was looking for that he needed.

He needed it soon...

He gripped the arm rests firmly and frowned as he glared at the lanky, tired-looking, red-haired man knelt before him. Issac wore a gray/black suit with a folded white collar and he had huge bags beneath his eyes and had an unshaven chin and a plainly unkept appearance. This man wasn't an emotional man.

This was the man who revived him and his name was Issac Voleur-Fantôme.

Napoleon gripped his armrests so hard that several veins started to bulge from the skin of his hands, frowned at the man bowed before him and gave him a steely gaze as he growled at him like a tiger growling at its prey once it first sets its eyes on it, atmosphere heavy with disappointment.

"Have you managed to retrieve the item, my servant?" He asked, his french tone growing heavy.

Issac kept himself bowed before his leader and shook his head in response to the question. He didn't dare peer up to look at the stern-eyed gaze of his master, he just didn't wish to disappoint his lord and the old emperor whom he'd rescued from the cusp of oblivion and saved him from being a mummy resting in some tomb in a museum. He was the only one who knew of his master's objectives and he had no choice but to follow him, he just had to...

"Unfortunately not, my lord, but I did manage to confirm whether the poison works or not."

The emperor just nodded his head and loosened his grip slightly.

He said through a biting, dark tone "Explain."

Issac nodded and elaborated.

"I managed to use it on a young woman I found at the appartement. It seems to have worked."

The emperor nodded his head in approval as he smiled. He was happy that the gas had worked like a charm and he stood up from the seat of his throne, his body movements slightly rigid due to the fact that he was _still_ recovering from waking up from being dead for several centuries. His legs were stiff and he couldn't move his arms or as fluidly as a normal human being but he tried to ignore it and he strode over to Issac and placed his hand atop his shoulder, like a parent guiding a child, and started to walk over towards the other end of the room.

Issac's eyes widened a bit and he watched as his leader wandered off, observing his every move silently as Napoleon walked over to a table and looked over the already-accumulated ingredients needed for the main component of his plan and he smirked evilly as he looked over the items.

He glowered darkly as he envisioned his future plans.

"Goooood...soon enough, we shall put our plan into action and I shall punish those who ignored me, emperor Napoléon Bonaparte."

* * *

 **A/N: Here is the next chapter. I even gave Raphael and Issac last names which mean "** **Thief-Phantom" in french, I thought it would be appropriate!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, guys!**

 **-Chloemcg**


End file.
